TAMPA BAY, August 31, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Ten year-old Joshua Heldreth, the eldest of eight children, was arrested on Good Friday of this year for trespassing while attempting to bring a drink of water to Miss Terri Schaivo. Days later Schiavo died of intentional dehydration. In court Joshua pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 hours of community service and ordered to write an apology for his actions.

The boy whose arrest photo was splashed on front pages of newspapers across the nation wrote in his apology letter, "I was arrested on Good Friday for trespassing on the hospice center's property . . . Not giving Mrs. Shiavo (sic) food or water was wrong. The reason I had to go on your property was because Jesus would do the same thing. It made me sad that she was so thirsty and it made Jesus sad too. I knew she would die without water and I am called by Jesus to be a defender of the defenceless. So I had to go on your property to try to bring her a drink."

Joshua added, "I am sorry that you didn't like that and wouldn't allow me to help save her life and one day you will have to tell God why. I won't be able to help you then like I tried to help her. I will pray for you every day . . ."

LifeSiteNews.com caught up with Joshua's father Scott Heldreth today. Scott told LifeSiteNews.com he is very proud of his son. "My son has amazed me through this whole thing," said Heldreth. The proud father said it was his son's own initiative to attempt to give the starving woman a glass of water, and despite the warning of his parents that he'd be arrested, the boy insisted. "He was the one who begged us to go down, because he wanted to give her a glass of water . . . We explained that police will never let you help . . . you'll be arrested, but he went anyways."

Pro-life leader Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Save America told LifeSiteNews.com that the whole pro-life movement shares Heldreth's pride in his son. Benham recalls the reaction of Heldreth on Good Friday as he watched his son being arrested: "When that all took place Scott was weeping, this father was weeping tears of joy seeing his son not only talk the Christian talk but walk the walk."

While the apology letter has been submitted, Heldreth told LifeSiteNews.com he's not completely sure it will be accepted.

The LEOs from Pinellas Park, Florida, should be sent to New Orleans. Let's see if they are as tough against heavily armed thugs as they were against 10 year old kids. Judge Greer should be given a shotgun and accompany the lawmen. Let's see if he can enforce law and order as well.

How could someone of true faith tell his son "Hey, it's the right thing to do. Christ would do it, sure, and he would be pleased by those actions... but you will get in trouble, so don't do it." Great message to send.

This actually makes my point. Tell the child something that will make it seem heroic for him to carry out this action and surprise, he goes and carries it out. This is why children shouldn't be used in political causes - they are easily manipulated, particularly by their parents. I can't believe a 10-year-old who, for instance, got arrested for trespassing while protesting the war in Iraq would get the same kind of consideration here that this boy is getting now. But it's the same thing. Children are indoctrinated, for good or for bad, by their parents. Most of us realize that using a child for political propaganda purposes (and make no mistake, that's what is happening here) is wrong whether or not we agree with the child.

See my last post. Child was under duress. Child knows that Pinellas County has KILLER JUDGES. The child will know he told a lie for the rest of his life. Guess he won't have any faith in a justice system that kills people and makes children PERJURE THEMSELVES.

"In court Joshua pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 hours of community service and ordered to write an apology for his actions"

This goes BEYOND sad. My BIGGEST problem with the whole case was the judge FORBIDDING ice, water to be given to Terri. If they wanted to withhold her feeding tube...I guess that was one thing. But to withhold water given by natural means is what makes this so heinous. Had they given her water, she might have swallowed on her own...which Michael Shiavo couldn't have! If she had not been able to take water by mouth, then at least she would have had her lips moistened and she would have been more comfortable. And one could say that she was not being kept alive artifically, BUT ALSO that she wasn't denied basic human rights.

I would certainly hope that this young man got his values from his parents. That's usually the way it works. Where do you kids get their values? From the street? Or worse, from public schools?

Sure, I completely agree with you. My point is that these people who are claiming that this child making the decision to break the law here was an independent decision are wrong. This child was used by his parents to make a political point and I have a problem with that. Apparently, many people here don't. But would they be as respectful of a 10-year-old who acted on behalf of a cause they don't agree with? I doubt it.

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